


i like you a latte

by queenvernage



Category: Super Sentai Series, 快盗戦隊ルパンレンジャー VS 警察戦隊パトレンジャー | Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Meddling, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, au no ganglers no collection no powers, everyone is tired of the flirting and the denial, just a waiter and a detective in love, just kiss, lupin sibs, wingman tsukasa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:07:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22705189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenvernage/pseuds/queenvernage
Summary: kairi is obviously trying to get keiichiro to ask him on a date.keiichiro is trying (unsuccessfully) to hide his crush.touma and umika can't bear to watch this flirting.tsukasa takes matters into her own hands and we all thank her for her service.
Relationships: Asaka Keiichirou/Myoujin Tsukasa, Asaka Keiichirou/Yano Kairi, Hayami Umika & Yano Kairi & Yoimachi Tooma, Oohira Aya/Yoimachi Tooma
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	i like you a latte

The Bistro Jurer was a cozy little hole-in-the-wall place near the police station where Keiichiro and his colleagues sometimes got a bite to eat before work or around lunch. The food was good, the french roast coffee unparalleled and the atmosphere healing. These, Keiichiro insisted when Tsukasa frequently called him out on his preference for the bistro, were the reasons he favored the place.

It had nothing to do with the wait staff, he assured, to Tsukasa’s knowing nod.

Nothing at all to do with the young and handsome waiter who was currently bringing the coffee Keiichiro had come here for.

“Two black coffees!” Kairi singsonged, placing a foamy latte with a cinnamon sprinkled heart shape floating on the froth, in front of Keiichiro and an actual black coffee in front of Tsukasa.

“Uh, Kairi-san,” Keiichiro piped up, catching Kairi’s attention as he was walking back to the kitchen. “I don’t think this is--”

“Oh my mistake, K-chan! I was practicing latte art and must have brought you the wrong cup!” Kairi scrambled to take the cup back but it seemed Keiichiro had second thoughts and held it tight. Kairi’s efforts shouldn’t go to waste, he internally rationed.

“No, it’s okay,” Keiichiro smiled reassuringly. “Allow me to try it! If it tastes half as good as it looks, I’m sure it will be a delicious change of pace.”

“Really? I’d love to hear what you think of it!” Kairi’s face lit up. “This one’s on me, K-chan! I’ll be right back with your pastries.”

Tsukasa smirked into her hand as he rushed off, earning a quizzical look from Keiichiro.

“What?”

“He’s been trying to get your attention for weeks you know,” Tsukasa quipped over her cup coffee the second the waiter was out of earshot. Keiichiro’s face went red at the thought. “I bet he made that specifically thinking of you.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me,  _ K-chan. _ ” She smirked, the same smirk she always used when she thought she was right. In fairness, she usually was, but just the same, Keiichiro was annoyed.

“Hey, the only one who calls me--” He cut himself off at the realization that this was exactly the kind of opening she was looking for. “Nevermind, it’s not important anyway.”

“It looks cute,” She hummed. “Is that a heart?”

“Don’t patronize me, Tsukasa.” He decided to ignore her, instead, sipping at the drink. He was surprised to find he liked it, given it looked so much sweeter than his usual order. It was a gentle sweetness, with notes of almond, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Of course, Kairi would be good at making lattes, Keiichiro thought. He was good at everything else. And he was interesting, with the most fascinating and unexpected opinions. There were a million unexpected layers to Kairi, and although he knew he shouldn’t-- he should be focusing on his career right now-- Keiichiro wanted to get to know Kairi more than anything.

He tried to stop the fondness in his heart from making its way to his face where Tsukasa would see it and never let him hear the end of it.

“Okay, here we go,” Kairi smiled, returning to the table. He placed a visually impactful heart-shaped cherry tart dusted in powdered sugar arranged just so on a doily in front of Keiichiro and an average looking eclair in front of Tsukasa. “Enjoy!”

He flitted off to the kitchen before either could say anything. Tsukasa’s smirk was back, and as she opened her mouth with the clear intention to let him have it, Keiichiro rushed to cut her off.

“I don’t want to hear it, Tsukasa.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

* * *

“If that police officer comes in here one more time just to make goo-goo eyes at you, I’m going to lose it, Kairi.” Touma said the second the door closed behind Keiichiro and Tsukasa. The paring knife he was using to gesticulate menaced with the same intensity as his narrowed eyes.

Keiichiro and Tsukasa had been the last customers of the breakfast rush, leaving the three bistro staff alone in the kitchen. Kairi quickly pocketed a note on a napkin from Keiichiro’s table, which he assumed had his notes on the latte, before Umika could clear the table.

“Goo-goo eyes?” Kairi scoffed. “What are you, eighty? Besides, K-chan doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. He comes here for the coffee and literally nothing else.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Umika chimed, placing the cleared dishes into the sink. “Kairi’s been all but walking around wearing a sandwich board that says ‘Take Me, I’m Yours, Officer’, and Officer Keiichiro hasn’t even looked twice.”

“I have not,” Kairi pinched Umika’s nose in protest, smiling at her affronted reaction. That never got old.

“Have too!” She stuck her tongue out and ducked, nearly missing another pinch from Kairi.

Touma sighed his best I-didn’t-sign-up-for-this sigh, causing Kairi and Umika to burst out in a fit of giggles.

“Look,” Touma rolled his eyes. “I don’t care if you’re just as oblivious as he is, Kairi. The tension or whatever it is between you is nauseating. Do something about it or at least stop sighing wistfully while you pour his coffee and pretend that hearts are the only latte art you know, because I know they aren’t.”

“Shut up,” Kairi muttered, moving out of the kitchen to wipe down tables. Touma smirked triumphantly, before turning back to preparing the vegetables. Kairi pretended not to see it.

So what if Kairi had purposely mixed up the order to have an excuse to get a little more facetime with his favorite regular? Why did Touma care? And besides, if he even had sighed while pouring Keiichiro’s coffee, it would have been contemplative, not wistful. But he definitely didn’t sigh, so it didn’t matter anyway.

“Aw, Touma sounds kind of down on love… Does this mean that the honeymoon period is over now that you and Aya are a boring married couple?” Umika lilted. Without even looking, Touma threw the dishrag he kept over his shoulder at her. She reflexively dodged it; a skill she was quite good at after spending so much time with Kairi and Touma.

“Things are going better with me and Aya than with you and your little love triangle, Umika. Not that it's any of your business.”

“Hey, this isn’t about me!” Umika flushed, but put her hand on her hip in what was supposed to be a threatening fashion nevertheless.

“It’s not about me, either,” Touma monotoned. “It’s about Kairi stinking this place up every morning with the smell of his lovelorn pining.”

“Aaaaaaaaaaand that’s my cue to take my break!” Kairi’s apron was off and he was out the door before he could even hear the sound of Umika’s protests on his heels.

* * *

_ Lovelorn pining. _ Kairi scoffed at the thought, as he walked down the sidewalk, no destination really in mind.  _ Lovelorn pining, my ass. _

Kairi simply didn’t pine. It wasn’t his style. That’s not to say that he wasn’t attracted to the stupidly straightlaced and pigheaded officer who had become a regular at the bistro over the last few months, because of course he was. And there was no reason to deny that, but it also wasn’t his style to make the first move.

And Touma’s ridiculous assertion that he should “do something about it” was so far off base it was ridiculous. He  _ was  _ doing something. Specifically, he was playing a game to see exactly how dense Keiichiro really was. And if that meant “all but wearing a sandwich board”, Umika could kiss his ass because he was getting really and truly close to cracking K-chan’s heart like a walnut.

He could feel it.

At that moment he found himself in front of the police station and remembered K-chan’s note burning a hole in his pocket. He reached for it and uncrumpled the napkin.

_ I liked your latte… and I like you a latte. (A little play on words, excuse the humor!) Are you free this evening? 0X-XXX-XXXX. _

He resisted the urge to scream to the heavens, but he really thought about it. He  _ knew _ K-chan was into him, he absolutely knew it! And not only was there an albeit dorky confession, but a phone number too? He knew that latte art had been a good call, but he would have to keep in mind its impact on Keiichiro’s actions.

* * *

Keiichiro cracked his knuckles as he finally submitted the last of his paperwork for the day. As he put on his coat to leave, he felt a vibration from the pocket. One new message, and he didn’t recognize the number. Strange.

_ Officer, is dropping your digits like this your style? _

_ Bold of you, but I’ll admit it’s kind of cute. _

_ I’m sorry, who is this? _

The response was immediate.

_ How many people did you give your number to today, K-chan? _

Keiichiro’s heart skipped a beat at the term of endearment. His thoughts started racing, at the realization that he hadn’t given Kairi his phone number. How had he gotten it? In what bold manner would he have given it without remembering it? Had Kairi called him cute?

“Tsukasa!?” Keiichiro called after his partner, who was on her way out of the office herself. The guilt on her face told him he’d nailed the perp on the first try. “Did you give someone my phone number this morning?”

“Take him on a date?” Tsukasa suggested guiltily. When she saw Keiichiro wasn’t softening his glare she tried again. “Look, it’s clear you like him. And if he’d been any clearer that he liked you, you’d have a ring on your finger right now. It was painful watching you pine. I just thought you could use a wingman!”

“Tsukasa-sempai is wingmanning now?” Sakuya, the junior detective assigned to their unit perked up from his desk. “Can you get me that girl from Bistro Jurer’s phone number?”

“No!” Keiichiro and Tsukasa answered in unison.

“I wasn’t pining,” Keiichiro mumbled, looking back down at his phone.

_ Was I reading this wrong, K-chan? _

_ I thought you ‘like me a latte’? _

He groaned aloud before giving Tsukasa one last glare. He didn’t fully understand the message, but it did sound like something he’d say. He made a mental note to stop showing his personal side to his partner. She was getting too good at predicting his behaviors.

“You’re welcome, by the way.” She smiled. “I know you don’t like being teased about it, but I think it’s great that you’ve met your match.”

_ How do you feel about going for a walk? _

_ You can pick me up at 6 at the bistro ;) _

* * *

“You could have just used your words, you know,” Kairi was leaning up against the door of the bistro when Keiichiro arrived. There seemed to be some kind of rustling behind the curtain over the door’s window and he was fairly sure that he could see an Umika-like shape trying to peek out.

He was wearing those skinny jeans that Keiichiro hated himself for always taking note of, and a fluffy wool sweater that hung just past his knuckles.

As much as he resented Tsukasa for stealing his thunder and taking away his chance at all the big moves and grand gestures he’d thought about giving Kairi one day, he had to admit, he kind of owed her for the chance to see Kairi like this on this day. Maybe, he considered, the big moves and grand gestures were nothing in comparison with just Kairi, plain and simple, any day of the week.

He looked, as usual, utterly and unspeakably perfect.

“I’m afraid that I can’t always find the words when it comes to you, Kairi.”

“God, who knew you were so cheesy?” Kairi laughed his melodic laugh as he descended the bistro’s steps to join Keiichiro in the street. Keiichiro meanwhile willed the blush on his cheeks to go away, to no avail.

“Sorry,” He offered lamely. “I’ll… control myself.”

“Did I say I didn’t like it?” Kairi nudged him with his elbow and set off walking. Keiichiro was, as usual, a few steps behind.

When they finally fell in step together, Kairi gave him a sideways smile. “I’m glad you finally asked me out, K-chan. I’ve only been dropping hints since forever… Honestly, I was about to give up on you.”

“Kairi, I have to admit something,” Keiichiro cleared his throat. “I wasn’t the one who actually left that note this morning… Not that I don’t feel that way, I mean clearly I do! It’s just, the note itself, that was--”

“Tsukasa-san,” Kairi finished for him. Keiichiro was somewhat taken aback with the casualty with which Kairi had supplied that answer, like he was fully aware from the start.

“You don’t seem surprised… How did you know?”

“Well for starters,” Kairi pulled a crumpled up napkin from his pocket and pressed it into Keiichiro’s palm. “This handwriting is cute, but it doesn’t suit you at all.”

He grimaced at the pun and the forwardness of the invitation, but again, Tsukasa seemed to have his moves down to an impersonatable art.

“I put it together when you seemed surprised by my messages this afternoon,” Kairi smiled. “Doesn’t take a badge to do detective work after all, does it officer?”

“Are you mad?”

“Are you kidding?” Kairi reached down and took one of Keiichiro’s hands in his own. “You were still the one who asked me on the date, weren’t you?”

“I mean, yeah,” Keiichiro muttered, staring at their two hands, enthralled by the way Kairi was intertwining their fingers.

“Good, so we’re agreed this is a date. Then what do I have to be mad about?” Kairi used his other hand to lift Keiichiro’s chin and leveled their gazes. Keiichiro’s knees went embarrassingly weak as he reveled in their slight height difference, loving the feeling of looking up into Kairi’s sincere eyes.

“I know this date just got started, K-chan, but can I kiss you?” Keiichiro’s face went bright red at the thought and he gave a stunted nod in response.

Kairi leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on Keiichiro’s lips, not letting go of his hand but resting his hand on the other man’s neck. Keiichiro instinctively pulled Kairi closer by the waist, basking in the softness, the perfection and the bliss of this moment. When they both pulled away, Kairi pulled him back by the neck to rest their foreheads together.

“Was that okay?” Keiichiro asked softly.

“You really are dense, K-chan.” Kairi giggled in response, pulling their clasped hands between them as he set back down the path. “You’ve got a walk to take me on.”

(It wasn’t Kairi’s style to ever make the first move, but the second move? That was all his.)

**Author's Note:**

> happy valentine's day!! sorry i'm stalled on with or without you... i'm working through some ideas and getting back to it ASAP. 
> 
> thanks for patience and take this valentines day to tell someone that if it meant you could heal their pain, you'd turn in your badge and give up being a patoranger!


End file.
